


Barbara's Thorns

by Consulting_Otter_of_221B



Category: Beetlejuice - All Media Types
Genre: Adam Maitland - Freeform, Adam is the husband we all need, Angst, Barbara Maitland - Freeform, Barbara's bad at selfcare, Beetlejuice - Freeform, Beetlejuice The Musical, Coping Mechanisms, F/M, Flashbacks, Grab your tissues, Grief, Hurt/Comfort, Miscarriage, OC, Panic Attacks, The world needs more Maitlands, past character trauma, tauma memories
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-19
Updated: 2020-08-19
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:08:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25986397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Consulting_Otter_of_221B/pseuds/Consulting_Otter_of_221B
Summary: In the weeks following the encounter with a certain ghost with the most, Barbara has time to stop and think about what she's lost. As the Maitland-Deetz household is refurbishing and cleaning out the attic, Barbara sneaks off to address a painful relic of her past, something she has kept secret from everyone, and ends up swallowed by her own grief and trauma memories.
Relationships: Adam Maitland/Barbara Maitland
Comments: 1
Kudos: 12





	Barbara's Thorns

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! It has been SOOOOO long since I have written fanfiction. But having been obsessed with Beetlejuice the musical for over a year now, I have had plenty of plot bunnies come to visit. And with quarentine, I just had to try to get one out.   
> This is an idea I have had for a long while. I hope you enjoy! My heart broke a little (read: a lot) while writing this. Grab your tissues now.
> 
> TW//GRIEF, REFERENCE TO CHILD DEATH, TRAUMA MEMORIES, FLASHBACKS, PANIC ATTACKS

Barbara Maitland paced slowly around the attic, her gaze lowered and fixed on the old floorboards. Now and then she let her gaze fall on another artifact of their lives. In the weeks following the incident, the couple had started to clear out the attic with the help of the Deetz’s in an attempt to make it more homey and inviting. It was the room where the Maitlands spent the most of their personal time, and had come to be known as their own room.   
Delia had pointed out that the ghostly couple shouldn’t be forced to spend their afterlife in a dusty, cluttered catacomb of cobwebs and junk. The couple had agreed in appreciation. They were glad to be considered part of the family now, and to be allowed to stay in their old home. However, while they had tried to let go of the past with their empowering ‘Maitlands 2.0!’ mantra, they still found it difficult to let some things go.   
Barbara in particular, it seemed, was having the most trouble, although she would not admit it. Moving on had, after all, been her own idea. But that decision was made with the focus of protecting Lydia and other living residents of the house. Now that the immediate danger had been overcome, she had been left with more time than she wanted to think and process the events that had occurred, and with that, the life that she had lost.   
She did not like showing emotions. Barbara always put others before her, doing whatever she needed to do to keep everyone safe, healthy, and happy. She would have been, and was in a way, an amazing mother. She couldn’t bring herself to give in to any weakness, or to show it. It hadn’t been long into their relationship before Adam had learned to read the subtle signs when Barbara was hurting, physically or emotionally.   
In the weeks that had passed recently, he had, whether she knew it or not, noticed her becoming more withdrawn and quiet. There was an ache in her eyes, and he wished he knew what it was. Of course, he had a few guesses. But he could never be sure. Barbara was such a complex woman. That was one of the many things he loved about her. She kept him on his toes. But it made these situations all the more difficult to endure and overcome. Eventually he had decided that she was probably still processing their deaths, and that she just needed some time alone to think and heal. Delia had suggested (of course the Deetz’s started to notice and speculate eventually why Barbara was becoming less of her bubbly, ditzy self) that perhaps cleaning out the attic and stirring up their belongings was just screwing with their energy. She had read about paranormal activity in a home intensifying when their objects are moved around. Adam was still skeptical of that theory. Yes, they had been extremely irritated when the Deetz’s had gutted and redesigned their home, but this felt different. Why was it just affecting Barbara?  
The blond ghost let herself kneel down on the dusty floor. She knew they would be tackling this section soon. There was something she needed to address first before the others found it. She hesitated for a heavy minute before reaching into a small hiding place she hadn’t revisited since that morning. She pulled out a small brightly colored gift bag. Tears had started to pool into her eyes and she sat and stared at it in her hands before setting it down and slipping her hand in to remove its contents. The first thing she pulled out was a small children’s book, followed by a small plastic stick. A tear spilled down her icy cheek as she read the small screen on the side of the stick.   
2 lines.   
Pregnant.   
She had taken the test while Adam was out at the store, planning to surprise him that afternoon after lunch. She had thought her words through carefully, how she would tell him, how she would hand it to him, and had fantasized his overjoyed reaction.   
A fantasy that would never be realized.   
She could have told him after the fall. Perhaps she should have. But she couldn’t bring herself to. Barbara had no idea how these situations worked. They were ghosts. Her body was 6 feet under, the unborn child in her womb. She didn’t even know how far along she was. She hadn’t been showing, at least she hadn’t noticed any changes. But she had noticed the missed period. Along with a few funny new cravings and mood swings. She had waved it off as a wonky period at first. But deep down she had known. Mother’s intuition she guessed. She had wanted to be sure though before telling Adam anything. He had been grieving as well and she knew he still doubted whether or not he was ready to try to be a father again.   
She should have told him. But with everything that happened and all the pain, new and old, she felt perhaps it was easier to pretend it never happened. Why reopen old wounds and rub salt into new ones. It would only hurt Adam, she kept telling herself.   
But what if her unborn deceased baby was in the Netherworld? Could pregnant ghosts stay pregnant? Would there be a ghost baby? She didn’t know, and she hadn’t felt any different since their death. Had the exorcism hurt the baby if it was still there somehow? (She didn’t know how ghost physiology worked…).   
Since the exorcism she had felt pain still. She had never before felt such intense pain then. It had surged through her whole form. She could feel her soul burning from the inside out. But would the pain have been as intense and concentrated if she had not died while carrying? Her heart had burned like a blue flame, and her stomach had felt just as hot and sharp. Worse than she could even imagine labor pains to be.   
She blinked and tried to shake away the memories of the horrific experience. She slipped the items back into the bag. What would she do with them? She couldn’t leave the house…   
Her emotions were swimming and despite her best efforts to suppress it, she felt the familiar pangs of grief, desperacy, and helplessness overwhelm her. She collapsed in on her self and tried to fight the sobs from escaping her. She looked around for any kind of comfort and saw the book.  
The Handbook for the Recently Deceased  
It sat on an end table next to their old loveseat. Adam had been reading through it to pass the time. “This reads like stereo instructions…” he had mumbled to himself while furrowing his eyes at the pages. An idea struck her and she clumsily crawled closer to pull the book down from the table, knocking over the bag and spilling its contents in the process.  
‘There has to be something…. It has to be here… please….’ Barbara whispered desperately between sobs. She blinked furiously trying to see through her tears. The book was so muddled with information it was impossible to figure out. To add to it, pages had been obviously torn and removed thanks to a certain demon. So she had no way of knowing if any information she might find would be even accurate anymore.   
Her tears stained the faded pages of the handbook as she desperately flipped through it, feeling increasingly hopeless with each frantic page turn. She felt the pain of pages slicing her dead skin (the exorcism had also allowed her to sustain and feel minor injuries, although there was never any blood or bruising or breaking. Just the pain.). Finally she tossed the aside with a frustrated cry as she let herself crumble in her heartbreak. The air in the room grew thick and staticy as a result of her intensified energy. She hugged her stomach as she curled in on herself, rocking her metaphysical frame back and forth. She was so lost in her hurt that she hadn’t noticed the worried footsteps up the stairs, the gentle knock on the door, the creak as it opened, or the gentle yet concerned voice of her husband, until Adam knelt down beside her and instinctively wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his arms in a tight embrace.   
His wife was limp in his arms and seemed to not even react to his touch, but Adam continued to hold her. He had found her like this too often after the miscarriage. He had learned then how to care for his wife in these situations. Adam had been devastated as well, but he knew Barbara had experienced such a deeper loss and more intense trauma than he would ever be able to truly understand or relate to. During that time, it fell on Adam to make sure his wife took care of herself. All those recreational classes had really been attempts to get their minds on anything but the trauma. He had been the one to sign themselves up, hoping that something, anything, might take his wife’s mind off of it so that she could begin to live again. Really live. She was such a wild and free spirit. He just needed to figure out how to rekindle the flame.   
However, even when she was healing and improving, there were still many nights when he would find her as he did now. Eventually Adam had fallen into a routine. He would assess the situation. Was she crying? Was she aware of him? Was she speaking or coherent? Was she hurting herself? He would approach her slowly and hold her, as he was currently doing. Rocking her back and forth slowly. Gently brushing his fingers through her hair. Calmly whispering to her and gently running another hand over her arm in an attempt to ground her. But he made sure to never rush, and to allow her to come back at her own pace. He had learned the hard way not to rush, as often this just made things worse. He had seen her at her worst once, and he never wanted to revisit that.   
People often assumed that Barbara was just happy and bubbly all the time. But Adam knew that that was only a small part of her. There was so much more depth. And while her sweet and friendly nature was genuine, he also knew she had a tendency to mask her emotions well, out of pure love for others. She just wanted to take care of everyone, even if it meant putting off her own needs. Barbara’s compassionate heart was another quality in her he loved so deeply. Although it meant he had to step up to be the one to look out for her when she crashed.  
While Adam rocked and held her close, he moved to the second part of his routine. Scan the room for any known or potential triggers. His eyes fell on the book tossed across the room, along with some items fallen from the shelves. Ghosts had a tendency to accidentally shove or throw things or break things when feeling particularly emotional. It had only happened to Adam once. Barbara was more prone to it, though she felt terrible about it and was trying to control it.   
He also noticed the bag on the floor. He raised an eyebrow and noticed the objects scattered on the floor beside it. If he had a beating heart, it would have stopped. He felt a theoretical lump forming in his throat as he slowly put the pieces together.   
“Oh Barb…” he whispered empathetically and held her closer, nuzzling into her hair and kissing her gently. Finally Barbara moved, turning to hold onto him. A good sign. He held her and rubbed her back as she cried into him.  
“I tried-...I tried to-...I thought-” she whispered between choked sobs.   
“Sh...I know, I know.” He stroked her hair again, He started to hum softly to her, the melody from Dumbo’s ‘Baby Mine.’ He knew it was one of her favorites. They had planned to sing it to their little one one day. And, although that never was, Adam had found the lullaby to be a help in these situations. When he had tried it the first time he had been afraid it would worsen things, but it proved to do the opposite. Whether it was the vibration of his chest as he hummed or the comforting personal connection to the song, he didn’t really know. But as long as it helped, he didn’t care. He continued to hum.  
When he finally finished out the melody, Barbara’s cries had settled out to soft sobs into his shirt. Eventually, she turned her head so she could speak.   
“Are you mad?”  
Adam’s eyes widened and he pulled back to look down at her. “What? Mad? Honey, why would I be mad at you?” He asked calmly but surprised.  
Barbara sniffled “I never told you…. I should’ve… But- I couldn’t… I just couldn’t…” she closed her eyes tight as the tears threatened to return. He shushed her gently and moved to cup her face in his hand.   
“Love, you could never, ever, upset me. And you never need to explain yourself when it comes to this and your body. You were going to tell me! I can’t imagine how hard that must have been. You were so strong through it all… You just wanted to protect us, and Lydia. How could I be mad at you for that?” He kissed her forehead. “You have every right to feel this way. And you know I’m always here for you. Literally… we died together. You’re kind of stuck with me.” He gave a soft chuckle at his own bad attempt at a joke. He noticed her crack a smile “Hey, there’s my girl.” He smiled down at her. They stayed together holding each other for a long while. Eventually Adam was the first to speak again.  
“When you’re ready, if you want, we can try and talk to BJ about this, or maybe get in touch with that Miss Argentina. But only when you’re ready, ok? That’s entirely up to you. Even if it doesn’t- We will have tried all we could. And that’s ok. How does that sound?”   
She was quiet, taking a moment to hear and process the words. He waited patiently. Finally, she gave a quiet nod. He smiled and kissed the top of her head again. “Amazing. You are so strong, love.” He looked at the clock. It was getting late and he knew Lydia would be calling them for dinner any time soon. He knew neither of them would be hungry, and he made the executive decision for an early bedtime. “Alright, let’s get you cleaned up and head to bed. I can read you whatever you want. I think Delia found some new disney books at the store for us. She knows you like them.”   
Barbara gave a small nod again after a moment of processing and Adam carefully set to work. It wasn’t long before the two were curled up close in bed, Adam reading from the new Disney book collection, and Barbara slowly drifting off as Adam retold the story of a toy bear in a hundred acre wood.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I'm hoping to post some more one-shots soon. I have a bunch of OC's I want to write about. I love love love writing for the Maitlands. They're so sweet and wholesome. Who WOULDN'T want them as their parents. I haven't seen many of Barbara dealing with the grief of a miscarriage on this site. And I fell in love with the idea of what would have happened if she was pregnant when she died.   
> I MAY write a sequel to this about the Maitlands contacting BJ for assistance and info. So comment if that is something you would like to read!!!  
> I also am planning to write about an OC who is the Maitland's child. So stay tuned for that as well!


End file.
